Two Oklahoma attorneys are facing criminal charges for allegedly helping out-of-state medical marijuana growers skirt a law requiring MMJ companies to be at least 75% owned by state residents.
According to The Oklahoman, the lawyers – Logan Jones and Eric Brown – were charged by the state attorney general with conspiracy, keeping bogus records and growing a dangerous substance.
“My office is committed to eradicating these illegal operators and will continue to hold those facilitating illegal marijuana operations accountable,” Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor said in a news release.
The charges came after the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) spent months investigating the lawyers’ company, Jones Brown law firm.
The two attorneys allegedly had employees at their law firm act as “ghost owners” for a $3,000 fee that was levied on out-of-state residents seeking to enter Oklahoma’s MMJ industry, the Associated Press reported.
The OBN said the scheme was tantamount to defrauding the state.
Also during the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers raided three locations and seized more than 20,000 cannabis plants.
Apply to speak at MJBizCon 2023
Think you’ve got a great story, insights, or best practices to share about your cannabis business? We want to hear from you!
The MJBizCon team is now accepting speaker applications for the 2023 event in Las Vegas.
We are looking for engaging industry leaders from all sectors of the cannabis industry, whether you run a multi-state operation or a mom-and-pop business.
Apply to speak at MJBizCon today – The speaker application portal closes May 5!
Brown’s attorney denied the charges and said the pair were no longer partners, according to The Oklahoman.
The newspaper could not reach Jones for comment.
